Pattern lay-out guide or instrument



Sept. 17, 1968 M. a. GOMORY PATTERN LAY-OUT GUIDE OR INSTRUMENT FiledJuly 27; 1965 HGURE 1' FIGURE 2 HGURE 4 MAR GARET a. coma:

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HGURE 3 \NVENTOR I 5 ms neeirr United States Patent 3,401,459 PATTERNLAY-OUT GUIDE 0R INSTRUMENT Margaret Burke Gomory, Bethesda, Md. FiledJuly 27, 1965, Ser. No. 475,146 5 Claims. (Cl. 33-2) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A guide having longitudinal markings corresponding toavailable or standard widths of material is provided. The method forusing same to lay thereon a pattern and then measuring the length of theguide covered thereby. In one form the guide is provided with lateralmarkings in predetermined units of measurement from a fixed point at oneend of the guide. In another form the guide can be of a flexible fabricor material marked so that the guide can be folded to provide a widthcorresponding to the width of an available or standard material. In afurther form the guide can be composed of two sheets which slide overone another to give a desired width and the pattern pieces arrangedthereon after it has been adjusted to a desired width.

This invention relates to a guide or instrument for determining theamount of required material for a given pattern. In one of its aspects,it relates to a measuring guide, adjustable in a first direction, andhaving a measuring means in a direction perpendicular to the firstdirection. In another of its aspects, it relates to a cloth or guidehaving longitudinal markings corresponding to standard widths ofmaterial and lateral markings in predetermined units from a fixed pointat one end thereof. In a still further aspect, the invention relates toa flexible fabric having marks to indicate widths to which the fabriccan be folded for placing thereon a pattern, and having on each markcross marks to indicate the distance from a predetermined point. In astill further aspect, the invention relates to a method for determiningwith facility the amount of material required to make a piece of fabricinto an item of wearing apparel, the method comprising folding a guideto a desired width, laying out a pattern on the guide in an economicalmanner from one end of the guide, and measuring the distance from theone end to the end of the pattern.

Home sewing of wearing apparel provides the housewifewith harmless,creatively recreational activity and provides a means of procuringvai'ious forms of wearing apparel at a substantial savings in cost.Waste of expensive material is a factor which militates against theeconomy of sewing. For the most part, the home sewer must estimate theamount of material for a given pattern. Generally, guidelines forestimating will be given with a certain pattern for standard widths ofmaterial. However, one who is larger than or smaller than a standardpattern must interpolate the pattern guide lines. Occasionally, theguide lines provide for too much or too little leeway in estimating therequired material. An excess of an expensive fabric, costing say from $5to a yard, could result in a substantial percentage increase in the costof making the item. Too little material would require the sewer toreturn to the fabric store for purchase of more material, if stillavailable, with still more waste and expense.

Some imported fabrics, which are generally higher in cost, vary in widthfrom that of domestic fabrics. As above mentioned, guidelines forpatterns are given in standard widths of materials. When it is desiredto make an item of an imported fabric, it is therefore necessary for thehome sewer to determine the amount of material required when there areno guidelines for the width of the imported fabric. The problem cannotbe solved by a simple translation from the standard width given in theguideline to the non-standard width on the basis of square footagebecause the pattern must be re-aligned, and, often, the design in thematerial must be matched.

I have now found that a correct determination of the amount of requiredmaterial for a given pattern can be made by placing the pattern pieceson a measuring instrument having the width of the desired fabric, andmeasuring the length of the guide covered by the pattern pieces lyingthereon.

Further, I have found that such determination can be made using aninstrument marked with longitudinal lines corresponding to the width offabrics and with cross markings indicating the distance from a givenpoint along said longitudinal lines.

By various aspects of this invention, one or more of the following orother objects can be obtained.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pattern layout guide fromwhich can be determined the correct amount of material for a givenpattern or combination of two or more patterns, and a given fabric.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method fordetermining the amount of material needed for a given pattern orcombination of two or more patterns, and a given fabric.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a simplemethod for translating the requirements of ma-. terial for a givenlength of a certain width fabric to corresponding lengths for otherwidths of desired fabric.

According to the invention there is provided a guide having longitudinalmarkings corresponding to standard widths of material and lateralmarkings in predetermined units from a fixed point at one end thereof.

According to the invention, there is provided a guide of flexible orfoldable material which has on it longitudinal markings. The guide canbe folded to a desired width so that it will have the width of standardwidth or irregular width material. A pattern can then be arranged on thedoubled folded portion of the guide in the most economical manner.Having so laid out the pattern, a measure or reading of the length ofthe guide covered by the pattern pieces now laid out thereon willindicate precisely the amount of fabric required for the garment orother item in question. In one embodiment, the guide will containmarkings in a longitudinal direction and one can readily read off thelength of guide covered by the pattern pieces.

The invention can be better understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which: FIGURE 1 shows a view of the upper side of a guideaccording to the invention; FIGURE 2 shows a view of the under side ofthe guide shown in FIGURE 1; and FIGURE 3 shows the guide of FIGURE 1and FIGURE 2 folded as intended to be used in normal operation of theinvention. FIGURE 4 is a view showing how the invention can be used whena single thickness of material is required.

Referring now to the drawings, a guide of flexible material 1 hasarranged thereon longitudinal lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The guide canbe made of any material, woven or non-woven, preferably flexible, onwhich a pattern can be placed. Suitable materials include pressedfibers, glued bits of material, plastic or even metal or combinationsthereof; hinged inflexible pieces or necked down plastic. Thelongitudinal lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 can indicate standard widths ofmaterial such as 35", 36", 40", 42", 45", 54", and 60". Eachlongitudinal marking con- 3 tains cross markings 8 which can indicate instandard lengths the distance from edge 9.

FIGURE 2 shows the underside of the guide which has on it longitudinalmarkings 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, which can have on them markings such as35", 36", 40", 54 and 60 respectively. The longitudinal lines on theunderside and upper side of the guide can be of different colors. Foldline in use and the line to which the edge of the guide is foldedpreferably are matched or the same color. Each longitudinal marking onthe underside of the guide 1 will have a corresponding longitudinal markon the upper side of the guide. In other words, line 11 will have thesame color marking as line 2. Similarly, line 13 would have the samecolor marking as line 4.

In FIGURE 3, there is shown the pattern layout guide folded along line13, which is the line along which the guide is folded, so that the edge15 will come up to meet line 4. In such a folded position the doubledportion of the guide 1 would have a total width of, for example 40" andan apparent width of Pattern pieces 20 are laid out on guide 1. Thedistance from the edge 9 to the imaginary lne 21, d, indicates theamount of material which the pattern pieces cover up. The distancebetween line 13 and line 15 would be 20".

In operation, the sewer will select a material of a desired width, say,for example 40 wide. Guide 1 will then be folded along line 13 so thatedge 15 meets line 4 as shown in FIGURE 3. Both lines 13 and 4preferably have the same color. The guide 1 would now have a doubledwidth of about 40". The pattern which is to be used with the desiredfabric is then laid out on the doubled thickness of the folded guide 1in the most economical manner starting from edge 9. A traverse line 21would indicate the ending of the pattern pieces on the folded guide 1.The distance from the edge 9 to line 21 can be measured or read as laterdescribed. This distance, d, would be the precise amount of materialrequired for the given pattern. The length of the guide can be anylength, but a length of 3 /2 to 4 yards would be suitable for mostpurposes.

Longitudinal lines 4, 15 and 13 can have cross marks on them indicatingstandard lengths. For example, the cross marking indicates yards ineighths. Thus, the sewer would merely have to read from the crossmarkings on line 4, for example, the amount of required material.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, the guide is folded along a line 13, forexample, which would give the guide an overall width of 40". If, in thecase of a full skirt, for example, only one thickness of fabric isrequired, the guide can be reverse as shown in FIGURE 4. The patternpiece or pieces can then be placed on the single thickness of materialto determine the amount of 40" wide material needed by theaforedescribed method.

It is obvious that the instrument can be used to make outfits in whichdifferent patterns and different fabrics are required. If, for example,the top of one pattern and the bottom of another pattern were desired tobe used, and each part required a different or the same fabric, then theamount of material could be accurately determined. An independentdetermination of the required fabric for each part would indicate theamount of required fabric for the entire article without appreciablewaste.

It is obvious from this disclosure that the guide as described could beincorporated into a sewing table. In this embodiment, the guide couldconsist of two inflexible metal sheets which slide over one another togive a desired width. The pattern pieces could be be arrayed on thetable and held in place by magnets.

Further, the guide need not be flexible, but could be rigid and need noteven be folded. In such an instance, the instrument would merely containlongitudinal lines corresponding to the width of fabrics and crossmarkings indicating the length from a given point. The pattern could beplaced on fabric in any manner such as by pinning or in the case ofinflexible patterns by taping it thereon.

However, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the instrument isflexible. This flexible instrument would allow the sewer to place thepattern thereon in the most economical manner and after so doing,determine the amount of material required, fold up the guide with thepattern attached, and put it way. The economical layout of the patternon the guide or instrument has been preserved and can be directlytranslated onto the fabric when the fabric is ready to be cut out.

Further, it is obvious that the longitudinal lines could be marked orcould have markings thereon indicating the size of repeating design inthe event that a fabric which has a repeating design is desired. In sucha case, the layout of the pattern on the guide or instrument would allowthe sewer to measure the required amount off-material while keeping inmind the matching of design.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope ofthe foregoing disclosure, the drawing, and the appended claims to theinvention, the essence of which is that there is provided a patternlayout instrument with measured longitudinal markings corresponding togiven widths of fabrics, said instrument also being provided withmarkings stating measured lengths there along from one end thereof andbeing thus adapted to be used for placing a pattern thereon such thatthe amount of a given width of fabric desired can precisely determinedby laying out the pattern on the instrument, and reading the amount ofmaterial required.

I claim:

1. A guide for determining the amount or length required of an availablewidth material for a given pattern, said guide having longitudinalmarkings thereon spaced from a longitudinal edge thereof correspondingto the width of available materials and also having markings statingmeasured lengths therealong from one end thereof toward the other endthereof such that the required length of cloth can be read from the saidguide, said longitudinal markings on said guide being on two sides, suchthat when said guide is folded back onto itself longitudinally on alongitudinal marking on the one side, its edge will be aligned with acorresponding marking on the other side.

2. A guide according to claim 1 wherein the various markings on eachside are of dilferenent colors, such that when the guide is folded on aline of a color, the edge of the folded guide will be aligned with amarking on the opposite side of the said guide, said marking having thesame color as the color on the fold line.

3. A measuring guide for determining the length re quired for anypattern of any of a plurality of materials of different widths, saidguide comprising an elongated foldable substantially flat member,longitudinal first markings on a first side thereof, each firstlongitudinal marking respectively being spaced from a first longitudinaledge of said member a distance corresponding to different widthsrespectively of said plurality of materials, a plurality of secondmarkings on the other side of said guide, each second markingrespectively corresponding to a different one of said first markings,the second markings being spaced so that a longitudinal edge of saidmember is in registry with any one of said second markings when saidguide is folded back onto itself along a first marking which correspondsto said any one of said second marking.

4. A guide according to claim 3 whterein said guide is provided withcross markings thereon indicating standard linear measurements from anend thereof such that the length thereof covered by a set of patternscan be directly read from said guide.

5. A guide according to claim 4 in which at least the longitudinalmarkings on one side are of different colors and the longitudinalmarkings on the other side which correspond to the markings on the firstside are of color corresponding to the color of the longitudinal lineson the first side with which they coact in use of the guide.

(References on following page) 5 6 References Cited FOREIGN PATENTSUNITED STATES PATENTS 653,415 1928 France- 1,004,668 1952 France.1,443,151 1/1923 Sieger 33-12 1 941 33 1 1934 steinberg 33 11 5 ROBERTB. HULL, Primary Examiner. 2,814,116 11/1957 Goodman 332 L. V. ANDERSON,Assistant Examiner.

